Envelop and card feed device for type-writing machines.



E. B. HESS. ENVELOP AND CARD FEED DEVICE FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6, 1911*. r 1,143,269. Patented June 15, 1915.

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' .MTORWEY v E. B. HESS. ENVELOP AND CARD FEED DEVICE FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6, 1911.

a R w 11 0 H2 m !T E mm w s 9 Q mm i Q 6 d m 1| /Md WW 4 M a w P m u U A |.l|l-|| IIIEIIIIFM WITNESSES ATTOR/VEV E.- B. HESS. ENVELOP AND CARD FEED DEVICE .FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6, I91]. 1,143.2'69. Patented June 15, 1915 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- I g WW amz mu ATTORN E V UNKTEU @TATEh PATENT @hliltlfi.

EDWARD B. HESS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ROYAL TYPEWRITER COM'PANY, INC., 01? NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENVELOP AND CARD FEED DEVICE FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

icence.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 15, jl {H 5,

Application filed August 16, 1911. Serial No. 644,386.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. Hnss, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Envelop and Card Feed Devices for Type-lVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification. p

In apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, envelops, cards or shortsheets are placed in a reservoir from which they a re delivered one by one, as required to the platen feed devices of a typewriting machine.

The invention is shown applied to a front strike bar typewriting machine although it is applicable to machines of other styles. As illustrated, there is a feeding lever-arm'that engages the flaps of the envelops, draws them from the reservoir or hopper and delivers them to the cylinder feed devices.

The details of the organization and the subject matter claimed are hereinafter set forth in detail.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a front. elevation; Fig. 2, a plan view; Fig. 3, a side elevation taken from the right hand side of the machine; Fig. i, a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a view on an enlarged scale of the rea'r side of the envelop feed lever and associated parts; Fig. 6, a diagrammatic plan view showing an arrangement of spring bails for pressing forward the envelops in the reservoir; Fig. 7, a detail front elevation showing successive positions of the envelop feeding lever and an envelop being withdrawn from the hopper by it; and Fig. 8, an end view of the outer end of the feeding lever. I

The hopper or reservoir 1 may be constructed as shown,z'. e. of sheet metal in the form of a rectangular box of appropriate size, the bottom sides and back of which may be out from a single sheet of metal and foldw into form. The part of the plate "forming the back or rear wall is of greater height than the box and is formed at each side with a part of greater width than the back. This wide upper edge of the back piece is bent over as a-t'Q to form a partial cover along the rear edge of the box and the extended poi tions 3 at the ends thereof are bent down against the sides and riveted thereto. The front 4 formed with tabs or projections 5 bent at right angles and riveted t0 the sides is cut away so as to allow plav for the feeding lever hereinafter described.

(l, 6, indicate the side plates of the carriage, of a front strike typewriting machine in which is mounted to rotate the platen 7. The sides are connected in rear of the platen by a cross bar 8. The envelop box or reservoir may be mounted upon the side plates of the carriage as follows: To each side plate is bolted at 9 the vertical arm-0t a shoot metal right angle bracket 10 of appropriate width, the horizontal arm of which passes under the bottom of the box and is formed with parallel slots 11. Clamp screws 12 pass through counter sunk apertures in the bottom of the box through the slots 11. and screw into a washer or nut plate 13. I The screws are accessible for manipulation through the open top of the box and in this way there is afforded a convenient and ready means for adjusting the mounting oi the box to the width of a carriage. Integral with or attached to the bottom of the box is a downwardly extending flange 14 cut away centrally as at 15 and the side portions of which extend down behind the platen terminating above and adjacent the ordinary rear feed rolls 16 that cooperate with the rotatable platen. 0n the rear faces of the two downwardly extending parts of the flange or apron 14: on either side of the opening 15 are riveted inverted U-shaped spring metal feed roll carriers 1n the free ends of each of which there a re bearings for the shaft of a feed roll 18 that projects through a slot 19 in the flange 14- and bears resiliently against the rear surface of the platen. There is sullicicnt clearance between the lower corner a of the front of the box and the flange 14 to permit the ready descent of an envelop. One of the side plates of the box extends upwardly above the other as at 20 making a. convenient gage against which the edges of envclops to be inserted into the top of the box may be pressed. The rear wall of the box at its middle portion and near the upper edge has in it a horizontal slot 21 in which play the arms or finger pieces 22 of two spring bails 23, 23. The outer vertical arms or portions of then" bails. carry rollers 24, 24, and their parallel horizontal arms turn about a vertical axis 25 afforded by a post extending between the top part 2 and the bottom-of the box at the rear thereof. A coiled spring 26 surrounding this post has one end connected with the horizontal arm of one bail and the other with the horizontal arm of the other bail. The spring is covered by an appropriate sleeve 27. When the arms or finger pieces 22 are drawn together, the vertical roller parts of the spring bails move rearwardly and may be brought into the extreme rearward position shown in Fig. 2. A package of envelops with their flaps to the front and at the bottom, may now be dropped into the box in front of the pressure bails and when the arms 22 are released, the bails will press ghe envelops against the front plate 4 of the The outermost envelop, if forced downwardly, will be guided by the flange 14 be; hind the platen and between it and the special feed rolls 18, and by rotation of the v platen, will be delivered to the ordinary feed roll 16, and thence to the bite of the ordinary front feed rolls and so be carried around by the aid of usual front guides or holders, not shown; and, finally, on continued rotation of the platen will be,'after the printing operation thereon, discharged from the platen. If the platen by its rotation be caused to successively feed the envelope, the timely operation of the feeding device will supply the envelop to the cylinder at the time needed to replace the preceding one that has already been written on.

The envelope are fed as follows: The angle iron plate 10 at the right hand side of the carriage has, integral with it, a portion 10 that extends toward the front of the machine. It is bent at right angles, asat 10, to afford a flat face parallel or substantially so with the axis of the platen. An envelop feed lever 28 is pivoted at its right hand end by means of a pivot bolt 10 to the part 10 The feed lever is, preferably at its right hand end, curved downward to'its pivotal axis. To the left of this axis on the rear side of the lever is fixed a screw pin or projection 29 lying in a slot 30 in the upper end ,of a vertically disposed arm 31 whose lower end is guided vertically in a correspondingly shaped aperture in a bracket 32 secured to the right hand side plate 6 of the carriage. A coiled spring 33 has its lower end connected with the vertical movable arm 31 and its upper end to the lever arm 28 at a oint intermediate pin 29 and the axis of the ever. Owin to the downward curvature of the end 0 the lever the connection of the spring thereto can be made (Fig. 5) considerably above the axis 10 and close to a vertical line passing through such axis. Integral with or secured to' the arm 31 is a bracket extension 34 having a flat or horizontal part to feed material around it, and carries down the arm 31 which, by the strain exerted through the spring 33, causes the envelop feed lever to descend. The envelop feed lever plays up and down within the opening in the front wall 4 of thebox or reservoir hopper. Its head or free end is preferably enlarged as shown and at the bottom it is formed with a chisel'edge '28 the beveled face of which is outermost or towardthe front of the machine. Suitably located and secured to the front plate of the hop or is an upper stop 40 for the lever 28 whic stop may be of elastic or fibrous material.

When the platen is rotated and campro jection 39 engages bracket projection 35 on the vertically movable arm 31, the opera tion is as follows: The lever 28 descends passing between the sealing flap and the body of the outermost envelop contained in the box and carries it downwardly'as indi cated by dotted lines in Fig. 7 the head of the lever descending to a point opposlte the space 15 in the apron or flange 14: and the lower edge of the envelop is carried into the bite of the cylinder and the special feed rolls '18. Since the apron 14 is inclined for wardly, the feed lever 28 may be somewhat deflected from a true vertical plane. This may be compensated for by rovision of sufficient looseness at the pivot 10f of the lever. Since the lever 28 1s drawn down by spring 33, the lever moves down yieldingly; and, according to the amount of strain, spring 33 will yield more or less in whlch latter event the bottom of slot 30in the up per end of arm 31 will pass away from pm The device has, therer 29 on the feed lever. fore, flexibility of operation that reheyes jars, shocks and strains. Continued rotation of the platen will carry the cam, projection 39 around until it slips ipast the bracket projection 35. The fed envelop will pass into the bite of the rearward feed rolls 16 and thence around under the platen to the front feed rolls.

When cam projection 39 disengages bracket projection 35, the reaction of spring 33 lifts the rod 31 to normal position and the'bottom of the slot therem being, or coming, in contact with pro'ection' Z 29. on the feed lever, the latter is 11 ted to normal elevated position. This a pearsto be so because of the location of t e s rin 33 with reference to the axis 10 the line 0 were least resistance being that in which the force of the spring acts upon the vertically movable rod 31.

' 33 is relaxed but it holds the rod 31 in the position shown in Fig. 5. \Vhen the rod 31 is moved downward the spring 33 causes the lever 28 to be moved about its pivot and the projection 29 passes to the top of the slot 30 and the continued downward movement of the arrn31 causes the lever 28 to swing on its pivot and to descend, to the full extent, the spring 33 being somewhat stretched during this movement within the limits of the length of the slot 30. l/Vhen the cam projection 39 leaves the projection 35 the spring 33 immediately causes the arm 31 to rise and to bring the projection 29 into enga ement with the lower end of the slot 30. ln so doing, however, the lever 28 is swung about its pivot to such an extent that its outer end is raised to the position shown in Fig. 7.

The envelop feeding apparatus described is cheap and simple and experience has demonstrated it to be very effective. It may be applied to machines of various character. The particular form of carriage indicated in the drawings is that of the RoyalStandard typewriting machine.

I clain'u' 1. An envelop reservoir for typewritin machines adapted to have] envelops fe therefrom one by one to the paper-feed devices of a typewriter machine and horizontally arranged supporting brackets adjustably connected with the bottom of the reservoir and extending laterally therefrom and having devices at their outer ends for securing them to the side plates of a typewriter carriage.

2. An envelo reservoir for atypewriting machine provi ed with spring pressure devices pivotally .connected to, move toward and from each other about a vertical axis and adapted to press forward the contained envelops.

3. An envelo reservoir for a typewriting machine provi ed with spring pressure devices pivotally connected within the reser- -voir to move about a vertical axis toward and from each other and'adapted tov press forward the contained envelope.

4. An envelop reservoir adapted to be.

mounted upon the carriage of a typewriting machine and provided with an ordinary rotatable platen, spring means arranged at the rear of the reservoir to force the contained envelops to the front thereof, a feed.

lever pivoted at one end to move about an axis transverse to the axis of the platen, a vertlcally movable arm operatively connected with the lever between its free end and its pivot and adjacent the latter, and means turning with the platen and operating upon the vertically disposed arm to vibrate the lever to feed an envelop once in each revolution of the platen.v

5. An envelop reservoir adapted to be mounted upon the carriage of a typewriting machine having an ordinary rotatable platen, spring means arranged at the rear of the reservoir to force the contained envelop to the front-thereof, a feed-lever pivoted at one end, a vertically movable arm operatively connected with the lever between its free end and pivot and adjacent the latter, means turning with the platen and operating .upon the vertically disposed arm to vibrate the lever to feed an envelop once in each revolution of the platen, and a projection from the front of the reservoir extendmachine comprising a transversely disposed,

feed lever mounted at its outer end upon a fixed pivot a vertically movable lever-operating arm connected at its upper end by a sliding connection to the lever arm between the free end of the lever and its pivot and adjacent the latter and a coiled spring having its lower end connected with the vertica 1y movable arm and its upper end with the feed lever between its pivot and said sliding connection and means turning with the platen to carry the vertically movable arm downward and to operate the feed lever once in each revolution of the platen.

8. Envelop feeding devices for a typewriting machine comprising a transversely arranged feed lever downwardly turned at its outer end, a fixed axis upon which the downwardly turned end is pivoted, a vertically movable lever-operating arm having a sliding connection with said lever between its free end and pivot, a sprin connected at its lower end with the vertica ly movable arm and its upper end with the feed lever between the sliding connection and pivoted axis of the lever and above the latter.

9. Envelop feeding mechanism for a typewriting machine comprising; a transversely arranged feed lever pivoted at its outer end, a vertically movable lever-operating arm, a sliding connection between the feed lever and said operating armand a spring connection between said two parts, a projection on the movable arm andv an operating projection or cam adapted to act thereon and turning with the platen.

l0. Envelop feed devices for a typewriting machine, comprising an envelop-feed leverv pivoted to move about an axis transverse to the axis of the platen in a vertical plane immediately in rear of the platen, and means whereby the lever is operated by the rotation of the platen to feed thereto an envelop.

ll. Envelop feed devices for a typewriting machine, comprising an envelop reservoir, a transversely disposed feed lever pivoted adjacent'one side of the carriage and mounted to move about an axis transverse to the axis of the platen in a vertical plane immediately in rear of the platen, and means applied to the lever between its free end and pivot and actuated by rotation of the platen to operate the lever to feed an envelop to the platen.

l2. Envelop feed devices for a front strike typewriting machine, comprising an envelop reservoir, a transversely disposed vertically vibrating feed lever pivoted adjacent one side of the carriage, a horizontally arranged pivot transverse to the axis of the carriage for said feed lever, and means applied to the lever between its free end and pivot and actuated by rotation of the platen to operate the lever to feed an envelop to the platen.

13. Envelop feeddevices for a typewriting machine, comprising an envelop reservo'ir, a transversely disposed feed lever pivoted adjacent one side of the carriage and having a fiat, thin edged free end adapted to engage an envelop between its flap and body and means applied to the lever between its free end and pivot and actuated by rotation of the platen to operate the lever to feed an envelopto the platen.

14. Envelopfeed devices for a typewriting machine, comprising an envelop reservoir, means for feeding the eirvelops toward the front of the reservoir and a vibrating lever mounted to move about an axis transverse to'the axis of the platen in a vertical plane immediately in rear of the platen and connections between saidlever and the platen whereby the lever is operated when said platen is actuated.

15. Envelop feed devices for a typewriting machine, comprising an envelop holder and a vibrating lever moving in a vertical plane immediately in rear of the platen and mounted to move aboutan axis transverse to the axis of the platen.

16. Envelop feed devices for a typewriting machine, comprising an envelop holder and a vibrating lever having an enlarged flat free end with a thin. edge adapted to engage an envelop and withdraw it from the holder, a part projecting from the reservoir and carrying feed rolls adjacent each end that cooperate with the platen and that is cut away between its ends to form a clearance space in or opposite which the free end of the lever plays.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. EDWARD B. HESS Witnesses:

H. O. MYERs, A. J. SHERIDAN. 

